Walther von Hünersdorff

Walther von Hünersdorff
Born	28 November 1898 Cairo, Egypt
Died	17 July 1943 (aged 44) field hospital at Kharkov
Buried at	German War Cemetery, Kharkov
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer
Years of service	1915–43
Rank	Generalleutnant
Commands held	6. Panzer-Division
Battles/wars	World War I World War II Operation Winter Storm Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Walther von Hünersdorff (28 November 1898 – 17 July 1943) was a German Generalleutnant serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

During the Battle of Kursk Hünersdorff and a number of his staff were attacked by a group of Heinkel He 111s which had mistakenly targeted them while attempting to support the division, wounding Hünersdorff. That same day he was struck in the head by a sniper's round. Hünersdorff was flown on a Fieseler Fi 156 to a hospital at Kharkov. There he was operated on by a leading brain surgeon, Dr Wilhelm Tönnis, formerly a professor at the University of Würzburg. He succumbed to his wounds on 17 July 1943 and was buried at the Military Cemetery at Kharkov.^[1]

Awards

General Hünersdorff directing 6th Panzer Division at the outset of the Battle of Kursk

The wife of Walther Hünersdorff (with flowers) at the funeral of her husband

• Iron Cross (1914)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 May 1940)^[2]
  • 1st Class (27 May 1940)^[2]
• Panzer Badge
• Eastern Front Medal
• German Cross in Gold on 26 January 1942 as Oberst im Generalstab (in the General Staff) with Panzer-Gruppe 3^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 December 1942 as Oberst and commander of the Panzer-Regiment 11^[4]
  • 259th Oak Leaves on 14 July 1943 as Generalmajor and commander of the 6. Panzer-Division^[4]

References

Citations

1. Wegmann 2009, p. 382.
2. Thomas 1997, p. 311.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 203.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 409.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
• Wegmann, Günter (2009). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 2: F–H [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 2: F–H] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2389-4.

External links